Dark Horse Scotty Karate Scotch Ale - Dark Horse Brewing Company

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A good one really, on tap at The Hunt Club. This is about a year aged as an old seasonal. Above average mouthfeel from a creaminess, with really chocolate coming through. A tad of roast, but I was not finding the smoke. Not what I would expect from a scotch, nevertheless pleasant.

Serving type: on-tap

08-09-2009 14:00:41 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.2/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Turbid pumpernickel brown that lightens to blurry orange peel at the borders. A barely audible escape of CO2 on crown cracking made the small ecru lid a foregone conclusion. The foam melts within minutes and leaves the pint glass virtually untouched. Not a good start, though the beer itself looks fine.

The aroma almost gets the quality train back on the tracks. It's caramel malty and smells more earthy than sweet. Some peat smokiness would be nice, but quite a few American wee heavies fall short in that department. Let's see if it opens up and displays a little hidden depth as the beer gains a few degrees.

When it comes to flavor, Scotty Karate delivers in a major way. *This* is what I expected this big American-brewed Scotch ale to taste like. With a bigger body, we could be looking at greatness. Although there isn't an abundance of barrel-aged character, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if Dark Horse put SKSA in bourbon barrels for at least a brief time.

Flavors include chocolate, golden toffee, butterscotch, sugared pecans, medium-dark fruit, and a tobacco, tea, and hop leaf bitterness that concludes each mouthful with a gradually tightening, focused flourish. It may be nothing more than an overactive imagination, but a phenolic peaty tanginess and a puff of smoke are present as well.

The mouthfeel tends to settle in over time and bulks up just enough to earn the above score. Surprisingly, the understated carbonation works extremely well. I wouldn't add even one more bubble.

Forget the first two scores. I don't drink beer because of the way it looks or smells. I drink beer because of the way it tastes. Scotty Karate Scottish Ale is the real deal and should be sought out by anyone who loves a good wee heavy. Thanks to bakerslp for the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2009 15:29:00 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.47/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

deep hickory brown with a very cloudy and hazy consistency to it. Not bad overall, I could see some carbonation, barely making it out through the haze. Very nice looking indeed.

deep malty backbone was starting to push through. Lots of sweet notes taking over on this one, with hints of caramel, vanilla and nice earthy grains starting to come to the front. Definitely, some wood somewhere in its history as the aroma of oak was huge on this one. Lots of caramel and vanilla starting to take shape here, really lightning it up and make it that much sweeter. Next up in the lineup was a full on assault of the oak and wood flavors that were coming through earlier. Strong hints of oak and bourbon dominating it here, really giving it a deep flavor and pronounced presence. ever so slightly dry hop finish. Really quite complex and very nice indeed.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 03:37:34 | More by mikesgroove

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.3/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Picked this up in Michigan over Christmas. Served in a tulip.

Pours a very dark brown with a bit of a crimson hue. Off-white head starts out fairly high and falls somewhat quickly into a nice cap and collar. Some spotty lacing on the edges of the glass. The nose is pretty sweet with quite a bit of caramel and some dark fruits. A bit of a smoked character there as well. The peated malt really comes through quite a bit more in the taste, overwhelming some of the other characteristics. Some dryness in the finish; almost woody. Slight bitterness. Drinkability is pretty good, though this is a bit too far toward the peaty end of the spectrum for me.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2011 02:13:51 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4.28/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a medium brown body with a thin, beige head.

Smell: Rich caramel maltiness with an intensely bready scent, akin to a fresh-baked loaf of multi-grain bread. Notes of dehydrated fruit chunks, some wood, and a lil' peat.

Taste: Dark caramel maltiness, a taste of sweet sugar. Then, you get your face smooshed into that loaf of bread. Slight peat character. Dried apricots and cherries. Medium earthy bitterness. Drying, wood-hinted finish.

Mouthfeel: A hair above medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: Plenty tasty! I certainly wouldn't hesitate to have another.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2008 20:34:34 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours a fairly clear light mahogany, with a one finger head that displays good retention and leaves a number of lacing dots on the sides of the pint glass

Smell: Beyond the realm of the typical Wee Heavy, this beer has considerable fruit on the aroma, with berries, nectarine and pineapple front and center; also, the more expected caramel and peat aspects

Taste: Opens with a fruity aspect, with dark dried fruits and caramel flavor; the caramel builds by mid-palate, along with some peaty elements; after the swallow, the flavors mellow and there is a hint of citrus in the finish

Mouthfeel: Full body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: Certainly at the top of the Wee Heavy list in my book; adds some nice American elements to the style that make it eminently enjoyable

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2008 00:48:05 | More by brentk56

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle: Poured a cloudy dark brown color ale with a small foamy head with minimal retention and some minimal lacing. Aroma of sweet malt with some toffee and caramel notes. Taste is a mix between some toffee and caramel malt with some quite sweet malt notes with some light dry hops. Body is quite full with some limited filtration and some good carbonation. Well done overall but I would have enjoyed it even more with some peat smoke malt notes.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2008 17:51:35 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.18/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Rich O's Gravity Head '08:

As fine a Scottish Ale as I've ever tried. Strong and steady on all fronts. Sweet and peaty with herbal hop character and a complex malt meaty character. The texture is a bit less syrupy than big malty Scottish Ales, but sweetened more and makes it more drinkable. A little cleaner in the flavor than most, and less dirty or smoky. The 9%+ alcohol is hardly noticed, hidden well. A stern copper / ruby hue with fair coabonation / head retention. Spicy and sweet throughout. Deserving of better scores than most BA's have given.

Serving type: on-tap

03-02-2008 20:03:00 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter glass a ruddy brown with an orange haze to it a thinner off white head atop.Earth and smoke show thru most in the nose along with some buttery caramel,a good mix of earthiness and peat and sweet caramel and fruit pretty nicely rounded.A good stab at a wee heavy decent complexities but it wont blow you mind.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2008 11:49:10 | More by oberon

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.22/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a snifter at Durty Nellie's.

One of my favorite rhyming beer names. It pours a murky black-sienna topped by around a finger or so of dirty ecru foam. The nose comprises caramel, toffee, mandarin oranges, a touch of peat-smoked malt, and red apples. The taste holds notes of cinnamon, cherrywood-smoked honey-baked ham, cocoa, caramel, and a hint of oak. The body is a hefty medium, with a somewhat light moderate carbonation, a slightly chewy feel, and a dry finish. Overall, a very nice scotch ale, all the nicer thanks to the understated smokiness.

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2010 15:54:11 | More by TMoney2591

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

scotty karate, dark horse.
the beer birthed by a misconception.
9.75%? hoo, that's big for a Scotch ale...well, all right, then...

Dark burgundy hue, near mahogany, minimal head

Aroma: cookie dough, cinnamon bread, toasted and sweet, warm malt, light spice, caramel and toffee...mmmm...

Taste: big malty mouthfeel, cracked pepper meets toasted malt, alcohol feel is pronounced early...but I like it.
Dark fruits, blackberry and currant, perhaps...rich, delicious, roasty, toasty malt...mmm, mmm, mmmm.

Medium bodied, long finish, toasted dark fruit, dry, and altogether...not bad. MAybe even good. A bit too boozy, though...I think. but a fine beverage nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2007 02:17:13 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

3.83/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a cloudy brown color with a very thin offwhite head that fades to spotty lacing. The aroma is good. It has a wonderful crystal and smoked malt scent along with a mild alcohol aroma. The taste is good. It has a smooth and sweet crystal malt flavor that goes down easy and finishes with a light smokiness/alcohol feel. The mouthfeel is decent. It is a full bodied beer with less than adequate carbonation. This is a good beer. It just needs some more CO2. The appearance and mouthfeel suffer because of it.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2007 00:17:26 | More by WesWes

zeff80

Missouri

3.68/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

No date. Purchased on 12/31

A - Poured out a brown hue with an orangish tint at the bottom of the glass. It had a small, short lived head that left no lace.

S - It smelled earthy and mossy. A good malty nose, too.

T - It tasted of a strong malt flavor. It was biscuity and had a slight spice kick.

M - It was sharp and smooth with a warm alcohol presence. A medium-bodied beer.

D - Don't know when this was retired, but it did lack a little in appearance. I guess I expected a little more overall, too.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2008 01:48:12 | More by zeff80

metter98

New York

3.91/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: The beer is very hazy brownish red in color and has a light amount of carbonation. It poured with a thin light tan head that quickly died down, leaving some lacing on the surface and a thin collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Light aromas of dark fruits and sweet malts are present in the nose.
T: The taste is similar to the smell but isn't as sweet and has complex flavors of dark fruits, raisins, tea and toffee. Although no bitterness is detectable, there's enough hops to prevent this from being sticky and sweet.
M: It feels nearly medium- to full-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: The complex flavors in this beer make it a nice one to sip but it is rather easy to drink because the alcohol is well hidden from the taste.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 03:00:59 | More by metter98

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.85/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours with a bit of haze, which adds an orange hue to the ruby-amber color when held up to the light. The head, which is a sort of dark tan color, is pretty small and fades to a thin layer of bubbles pretty quickly. The aroma is certainly malt focused; I get notes of sweet toffee, some caramel, a malty raisin note as well as some crusty baked sweet bread type notes. The aroma smells like this is a thick malt focused brew, lets see if the flavors tell the same story.

The taste certainly lives up to the aroma, it is thick and concentrated with sweet, though complex, malt notes all throughout. The beer finishes with a touch of alcohol that is only slightly hot, with a touch of astringency. This has a rich, pleasant, almost meaty malt quality to it that is typical of thick malty brews. It makes this almost a meal in a glass. This is a pretty nice beer, the only thing that mars it in the end is that it is a bit too hot and astringent in the finish.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2006 01:11:47 | More by Gueuzedude

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.65/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Acquired from brewcrew76, so a big "Thank You" goes out to him. Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a medium brown color with a very thin off-white head that fades quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of caramel, vanilla, dark fruit, bourbon, roasted malts and a touch of hops.

T: The taste is malty and a little boozy up front with sweet flavors of caramel, dark fruit, apples and vanilla. There's a significant alcohol sting that hits from the beginning. The hops presence is mild but brings a little bit of balance. The after-taste is sweet.

M: Smooth and crisp, medium-to-heavy body, light-to-medium carbonation, finish is pretty clean for the style.

D: Tasty, goes down ok, slightly filling, strong kick, decent representation of style, not quite the best Scotch Ale that I've had but it's still a decent beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2008 03:20:57 | More by TheManiacalOne

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.93/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Got this one from czotch75, cheers Clint, this is my first beer from Dark Horse!

Pours an effervescent caramel with a finger of tan head. Good lacing, nice viscosity & above average head retention

S: Much smokeyness, some oak, & toffee

T: Smokeyness, toffee, oakyness & some leafy hops up front. Toffee, smokey oak & hickory with whispers of caramel as this warms. Finishes dry & oaky,with pecans & toffee; more malt base please!!! Almost pulled a 4.0

MF: Kind of wet, low carbonation, skews a bit malty, like it should

Drinks alright, hides the abv well, but a touch too dry

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2008 04:44:01 | More by russpowell

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Ordered this beer on tap a while ago at the Tap & Table when it was still open. This beer has a very nice looking deep brown color to it with a creamy tan head on top. The lacing wasn't too sticky but left a few lines on the glass. The smell of the beer was sweet and malty, like it should smell for this style. The taste of the beer has a really nice sweetness throughout, it's a very malty brew. The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy feeling with some light carbonation. Overall I would enjoy having this one again one day.

Serving type: on-tap

08-03-2011 14:10:20 | More by Knapp85

emerge077

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Cool label illustration of a crazed hillbilly one-man-band.

Pours a ruddy brown tone into a tulip glass, with deep vermillion highlights under the light. One finger of foam is formed, that subsides in a few minutes. Tiny spots of lace, not much since the glass wasn't completely dry. Stubborn layer of yeast dregs in the bottle.

Slight sweetness in the nose, banana, a little nutty. Reminds me slightly of a Dopplebock after tasting it. Very malty and earthy, toffee, with a nuttiness that comes through again in the first sip. There's a restrained but pleasant hit of smoky peat, that becomes dry in the finish. Alcohol is somewhat hidden for the high ABV.

Slightly sticky and dry in the aftertaste, just ok. Carbonation is a touch high at first, but smoothes out as it sits in the glass for a bit. I've never had more than one at a time, but a hearty drinker sure could.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2007 01:33:59 | More by emerge077

jwc215

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Oakmont Bar in Havertown, PA almost a year ago, from notes that were lost, but recently found:

Pours dark brwon with a thin, wispy head.

The smell is of peat roast and toffee.

The taste is of coffee/toffee and chocolate. Sweet-ish with peat roast balance in the finish.

The feel is of a soft, creamy texture. It is full-bodied, but not too thick.

This is a great sweet-ish sipper with a nice roasty balance!

Serving type: on-tap

01-04-2012 00:45:30 | More by jwc215

akorsak

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A 12 oz bottle purchased at the Brass Rail poured into a snifter

A: The scotch ale murky crimson red/brown, opaque due to the color and not sediment. No significant head came out of the pour; only a thin white band hanging around thereafter.

S: The nose is strong, evidemt from the first sniff. Peated malts, lightly smoked, betray their rich caramel background quickly. Definitely more caramel than peat but both are in abundant supply.

T: Rich, decadent caramel kissed with smoky peat, that is really all one needs to know about this beer. The caramel is full, warming even, in its strength. Mid-sip and on through the end the smokiness rears its head. The smoke is dense, thick enough to match the rich caramel. The depth of maltiness makes me think that hot rocks were dropped into the mash. The one-two punch of caramel and smoke is very enjoyable, filling with absolutely no indication of alcoholic heat.

M: Don't come around here looking for hops or anything remotely similar, this is a malt-lover's paradise. Bready, grainy, wholesome, delicious.

D: No booziness, that's a big plus. Indulgent malts, that's a plus. Plenty of peat smoke, that's a plus. I'm not seeing any downside. An excellent wee heavy.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2010 01:49:11 | More by akorsak

tempest

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at 3 Squares in Maple Grove, MN. Served in a pint glass it was dark brown with a couple fingers of tan head. I don't like my scotch ales to dry or heavy, but this beer didn't disappoint. It was smooth a just sweet enough to make for a good after-dinner beer. The flavor was a mix of sweet cherries, strawberries, and date mixed with chocolate candy (not very milky, but sweet). In the background there was just a hint of earthy peat flavor. Overall very nice and drinkable. Seek this out if you dig the style.

Serving type: on-tap

07-09-2009 04:50:15 | More by tempest

WVbeergeek

Ohio

3.78/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I love the artwork it's from a guest artist out of Austin, TX, what's better to represent that then a viking hat adorned fu manchu wearing one man band musician rocking out on the drums, guitar, and banjo with foot pedals intact for effects. Pours a murky dark cola amber brown with ruby highlights when held toward the light. Head was quickly dwindling highly carbonated fizzy sounding as it settled, kind of a turn off at first with minimal head left behind. Aroma has a caramel plum fruit and raisin infused booziness at first sniff. With my first sip in addition to caramel, plum, raisin and booze I get an oak barrel or tree bark bitterness with evident smoked malts gathering on the palate together a touch of whiskey and vanilla this is complex like some herbal tea with a whiskey chaser blended with birch syrup root beer if that makes sense at all. With my next few sips the smoke meat characteristic even jumps into the party I'm sure this may be peated malt at this point but it's really riding a wave with carbonation that is sharp but not too lively. Mouthfeel overall is a bit cloying for me, at this point the carbonation is sharp but not lively it kind of lands flat as soon as the initial harshness passes the palate, but a smoked meat syrup layer is left behind with some charred oak and minimal vanilla that bring the heat with it. Drinkability overall depends on what your into, me I'm having carbonation issues, but does that effect my experience as a whole. Final answer it has to because it effects the way that the other flavors are sensed on the palate. In this case I feel that smoked peated malt sensation overstays it's welcome yet makes the beer memorable in an extreme sort of way. Booze ridden for sure but this beer is going for all of that, I applaud the effort it was a fun experience but damn how many of these can or do I want to drink?

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2009 08:50:44 | More by WVbeergeek

smcolw

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark brown broth with a beige, thick head. Despite that, there's no lace. The beer itself is a cloudy brown where the smallest of light shines through the glass.

Sweet caramel aroma. Very much like brown sugar.

Absolutely superb flavor. There's a great blend of darker malts without any burnt notes. More hoppy than most Scotch ales, but I think this adds to the flavor. At nearly 10% abv, it is stunning how little alcohol shows up on the tongue (some comes through on the swallow). This is a deceptively strong beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2010 21:10:18 | More by smcolw

Wasatch

Utah

4.38/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks goes out to unclejedi for this brew.

Poured into a chalice a cloudy mahongy color, nice carbonation, little fizzy head which went away pretty quick, some tiny oil slicks left behind. The nose is malty, hoppy, spicy, oaky, and some caramel. The taste is very nice, malty/hoppy, slightly spicy/oaky tone, lots of caramel. The alcohol is hidden pretty well. Full body, well-rounded brew. Very drinkable, a very tasty Scotch Ale. Always nice to have a Dark Horse brew in the house.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2007 23:37:56 | More by Wasatch